United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

My son Noah was born on 11-18-12 after 19hrs of labor. He weighed 10lbs 5oz and was 22in long. I did not have gestational diabetes. His shoulder became stuck during delivery and doctors used a vacuum and manual manipulation to get him out as his heart rate dropped dangerously low. A c-section was never suggested or mentioned even though I was having difficulty progressing, and was actually stuck at 7cm for a large part of the labor and was told to start pushing at 9cm...never dilated completely. After the delivery my husband was the first to notice that Noah was not moving his right arm. The doctors brushed off our concerns, comparing his injury to that of a "stinger" an athlete might get but did check on him every hour on the hour for the 4 days we were there.

Noah is now one month old and has not yet regained any additional function of his arm. He has very good wrist movement as well as fingers, and his grasp is strong as well, but he is still unable to bend his elbow and has no upper arm movement. He is being seen at the University of Michigan BPI clinic. Yesterday he had an EMG which confirmed that he has no bicep or shoulder activity. Although he does have good hand, wrist and tricep activity. The neurologists said his nerves appear to have been "damaged" and not just stretched. He will have an MRI in 8 weeks that will determine the exact extent of the damage.

We have been doing PT weekly at the clinic as well as at home at every diaper change. We do tummy time and are also using a wrist rattle and massager to help stimulate the muscles. On Wednesday we will begin taping his shoulder.

Sorry this is so long...I just had to get it all out. I am still dealing with my intense anger and sadness over the situation. I would appreciate any comments and will try to update regularly so I may be of help to other parents going through this. Thank you for reading.

My Mom was scared for me to in the 50s at birth,to
She tried to fined help in the 60s there was none for a baby with birth erbs , the doctor broke my scapula and my elbow , thanks doc
At my moms death, she wish she could of fix my arm , that never happen.
But there is alot of moms here that can help if they can by other post.
I like many here are here to help by experience and hope it helps and hugs!
What your son is starting with is what I built over the years with birth erbs and drove semi with it. Even if you have no help you learn to do things by post, and by post the amazement becomes fact to adapt happen by post
Moms will help if they can, I just had the limitation with birth erbs at 12 lb. at birth with no help or treatment in the 50s or ever But there will be moms to help you find help or direction to help you with a possible a path. You came to a right place, Hugs
My mom died years ago but, the parents by post I read have the same Spirt as my mom to help there child and because of the effort they really show the same courage to help a child to try.
Sometime I try and wonder if I help ??? We care but saying things right well ??? I just dont know ????
With Heart,
Tom

Tom,
Im sorry that we all have to be here, but I am inspired by your courage and desire to help others going through this difficult time. I am having the hardest time dealing with my anger about what the doctor did to my baby...its harder to accept I think because it was not something he was born with genetically but instead caused by a person not doing their job correctly. now my son has to live with this the rest of his life, and his life has only just begun. I am trying my best to be strong because I know there will be days when Noah wont be and I will have to be strong for him. Taking things one day at a time...

Our stories are very much alike,it breaks my heart.Your doing everything right!!!!!! You caught this early on and have the chance to change the drastic outcome My son had to have a nerve graft at 6 months of age.His nerves were torn and not just stretched either:-(
Its been nearing 4 years and the anger is still very much alive and burning with in me everyday.I don't know how to deal with it just yet other then to look at my little boy so healthy and full of life and c how far and how much he has improved and I thank God for my miricle baby who was nearly dead at birth.he now has I'd say 85% of all function to his injured arm,we're just having a minor setback at the elbow,and it's only a minor problem doctors are sure can to be fixed.Thank God for great BPI doctors and the technology now.
Hang in there and be strong

The quest to find help is a quest and I get so, tick off from my world there was Never ever give treatment from any doctor Ever it is
You read post here how there is a path to maybe help your child with there limitations but what a quest and choices , Many fly on plaines, in cars, etc. to get that help.
All I can say is the courage you show is Great, in the end things will happen
Forever Mr positive?????
Tom

First in the 50s they told my mom I had Polio My birth erbs was Polio???
I found out latter in life , it was a Cop-out , by doctors, today there lawyer for erbs babies and birth injuries by post to. There is a( absolute need!!!!!) to have the right reffeal to see a Obpi specialit Doctor before you leave the hospital There is Absoluty a Need because there is a Time Element to all Our injuries by a Boat load of Post To me having to be on a quest to do so is OUTRAGES!!! Can a hospital be accountable for the delay to get a referal to see a doctor when a When time element is a issue to see a OBPI doctor??? That the way its seems by post I have read, Just thinking when Iam MAD When things turn I seem to come up with things to try and new Just Thinking
My mom was tick of to , The doctor broke my scapula and elbow at birth by forceps and erbs injury at birth. Oh, my mom was 5.6 and I weigh 12 pounds You use forceps on chickens not babies.
The hardest thing was to pass a Dot Physical exam for semis with birth erbs the first time after that My safe driving help me pass by my safety record over the years being a Chicago local semi driver. Thanks God you bet
I remember my mom telling me to pick my battles when I was angry, when I was little you dont have to fight your way out
By 10 there was never any help to date for my limitation, But now there is so many treatments, surgery. etc. no doctor Ever told me there was any of this over my life time But what a quest to do so now????, There out there by post, and Great outcomes to But trying to get the right re-feral to the right doctor, I would see a lawyer just on thaws grounds, I think ??? It Just makes me angry to what I have seen posted
Its good to be angry , but I have to change anger over my life time in to something better to have tenacity to quest and to try , Determination to me has defeated alot of depressing moments in my life by , just trying.
My blood pressure always jumps seeing doctors, I am still angry inside but redirected to try
I think anger can be the determination to move forward and try.
I hope what I shared help?? Time to get off my Soap box
Happy Holidays,
Tom

I thought I should add this to my post
Unfortunately for me I have had court cases because of my birth erbs over my lifetime, Court cases are a fact and a need to do, when your mad and you can not take it any more , BS
What I can tell you that getting All ,medical reports and what ever you can get together, is very important thing to do before you see a birth injury lawyer
In the cases I was in overtime were long drawn out deals, that courts seem to do is to ware you down by doing this, but in the end I won to a point by Not giving up I was to tick to give up What I did learn is, it was not as much of what I said ,it was all about what I prove by evidence
One thing I have tried to do is to pick my battles like my mom told me to do, when I was little. I try to change my anger into a determination to try and adapt, and the possible solution to a point in life of that problem By alot of post here I think we all do this overtime in the post I have seen to, I have seen post in injuries later in life that Do this same thing to change anger into determination to try There might be a positive reaction Sometimes you do need a lawyer to.
Hope this helps??

Just Thinking,
Happy Holiday.
Tom

I totally understand your frustration and anger at what happened to your child. My daughter (currently 18 years old) was born at the end of September 1994 and I was induced at supposedly 38 weeks gestation because of gestational diabetes. My daughter was 8lbs 14oz, and 20". What happened during my delivery of her is a long story, but suffice it to say that it was definitely substandard of care. My daughter has a right BPI that occurred high near the neck. Therefore her whole arm wrist and hand were affected. We did not have the world of the web at that time like there is now, and there really was no real information for us to research regarding her injury.
As I've said, my daughter is 18 y/o now, and although she still has BPI, she has managed to be a normal productive intelligent woman, and her disability has never held her back from being able to do everything a normal child could do. It is amazing to see her do her hair with a straight iron, or put it up in a ponytail by herself. It is amazing to watch her do just about anything; she just does some things a big different than others who have two working arms and hands. She is a beautiful girl, and feisty as all get out. If anything, her peers have always tried to imitate how she does things rather than the other way around.
I too as frustrated, angry, sad, confused, etc. when this happened to her at birth. I thought "how would she ever be able to hold a doll, or jumprope, or ride a bike, etc. But she has done all that and more.
I just wanted to tell her story because even if nothing can be done for your child, just keep faith that your baby will grow to be just fine. I had to realize that my daughter had a physical disability, and although it was a tough thing to accept, the damage caused by the substandard of care during her delivery could have resulted in quite a bit of more damage.

Ok , Here may-be why Things really do work out in life with these birth injuries ,by post here
First I Think?? its the parents that helps the chid to move forwards ether by Doctors , That a quest today To find the right doctor to get more range of motion By so many post here
Ware I got courage was how I saw my mom trying to help me growing with birth erbs in the 50s. You Guys really Remind me of my Mom by so many post
What I will tell you that in all cases Even I wonder how I got to adapt to so many things by my post I read posts of so many doing some thing I could NOT even figure out with one and 1 an 1/4 arms How did the do that????
Sometimes I think the best awareness is in what we share and post
Some times I really am mr positive, but really ,post really speak the truth speak your child will be fine, its fact by posts I think,
What I hate about most is when you are left with no direction to get around the problems that happen with these injuries for me for you and its ends up another quest by alot of post here to. Its fact with the other sights here, To we really do become unstop-able in our trys or and The guts to find a away you move forward throw life we need to endure
Just Thinking,
Tom

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